Tokyo, 6 January 2024 (dpa) — The death toll from the severe earthquake on the west coast of Japan on New Year's Day has risen to 100, local authorities announced on Saturday.

There are still 211 people missing in the affected prefecture of Ishikawa. The government had previously sent additional soldiers to the disaster area to support the search and rescue teams on the ground.

The first 72 hours are crucial in the search for survivors. Anyone who is not rescued during this time has a drastically reduced chance of survival.

In the coastal town of Wajima, which was particularly badly affected by the 7.6-magnitude quake, a huge fire broke out and many houses were destroyed. Mountains of rubble, damaged roads, landslides and aftershocks hampered the efforts of search and rescue teams.